SmarterSelect: Reviews, Pricing & Free Demo

Name: SmarterSelect
Rating: 4.1 (15 reviews)

Last Updated Jun 23, 2026

Key Takeaways

Generated from the text of customer reviews

SmarterSelect is a grant, scholarship, and award-management system trusted by businesses, schools, and nonprofits. It provides organizations with advanced tools to manage applications effortlessly. While the exporting system lacks intuitive design, it offers enhanced workflows and evaluator coordination capabilities.

Our Verdict

SmarterSelect is a suitable option for nonprofits and educational institutions managing recurring scholarships, grants, and award cycles involving multiple reviewers and structured evaluation processes. Many teams find the centralized workflow approach valuable for reducing spreadsheet-based coordination, though the annual pricing structure may be less practical for smaller programs with limited application volumes.

Overall Rating

Based on 15 users reviews

4.1

All Reviews

Rating Distribution

Positive

87%

Neutral

13%

Negative

Starting Price

$2,000

per year

Product Snapshot

Smarter Select candidate financial details

SmarterSelect Specifications

Donor Management
Fundraising Tools
Volunteer Management
Grant Management
Membership Management
Event Management
Financial Tracking
CRM Integration
Email Marketing
Campaign Management

View All Specifications

What Is SmarterSelect?

SmarterSelect is a powerful tool for managing applications, developed ideally for organizations like schools, nonprofits, and businesses. It systemizes workflows with user-friendly features, saving time and improving decision-making. It is structured to cater to diverse needs such as scholarships, grants, and awards, ensuring seamless management and adaptability. SmarterSelect supports users in focusing on impactful outcomes while efficiently handling complex application processes with ease and reliability.

What Is SmarterSelect Best For?

The platform stands out for its evaluation tools. It makes reviewing applications far less time-consuming with customizable scoring rubrics, multi-stage reviews, automated score calculations, and organized evaluator groups. Reviewers can also leave comments and notes directly within the system. This helps teams stay aligned without juggling spreadsheets or long email threads.

How Much Does SmarterSelect Cost?

SmarterSelect price starts at $2,000/year for the Create plan. Suitable for up to 500 users, it offers features like online evaluation, file attachment, and unliminted programs.

Other plans include:

Enhance – $5,000/year
Enterprise – $7,500/year

In addition to the base subscription costs, organizations should account for the following potential expenses:

Implementation And Program Configuration: $500–$5,000 for small organizations; $5,000–$25,000+ for enterprise-level deployments with complex workflows
Data Migration And Historical Records Import: $1,000–$10,000, depending on applicant volume, legacy data quality, and cleanup requirements
Staff, Reviewer, And Administrator Training: $500–$5,000, based on onboarding scope and number of evaluators
SSO, CRM, Zapier, And API Integrations: $2,000–$15,000, depending on authentication requirements and integration complexity
Custom Workflow Automation And Scoring Logic: $2,000–$20,000+, based on approval flows, conditional logic, and evaluation requirements
White-Label Branding And Custom Portal Development: $1,000–$8,000, depending on branding and UI customization needs
Premium Support And Dedicated Success Services: $1,000–$6,000/year

User reviews generally describe SmarterSelect pricing as affordable for nonprofits and scholarship programs. However, some smaller organizations note that higher-tier licensing can become expensive as program needs expand.

Get SmarterSelect pricing quote based on your requirements and budget.

Disclaimer: The pricing is subject to change.

SmarterSelect Integrations

SmarterSelect has integration arrangements with different third-party systems and apps via Zapier. These include:

How Does SmarterSelect Work?

After logging in to your SmarterSelect account, follow the steps given below to learn how you use its features:

Set up scholarship, grant, or award programs using built-in setup tools and pre-configured templates from the ‘Program Library’
Build custom application forms with conditional logic that adjusts questions based on applicant responses
Configure scoring rules and calculation formulas to help reduce manual review effort during the evaluation process
Request recommendation letters directly through the platform with automated email notifications for recommenders
Assign evaluators to review applications using custom scoring rubrics, including optional blind review settings
Track applicant progress, reviewer activity, and submission statuses throughout the application cycle
Manage award decisions, update recipient statuses, and communicate outcomes to applicants through the platform

Schedule the SmarterSelect demo to further explore its functionalities.

Who Is SmarterSelect For?

SmarterSelect software is primarily designed for organizations and institutions that need to manage application processes efficiently. This includes entities involved in scholarship, award, grant, and program management. It serves a range of users, such as:

Nonprofit organizations
Schools
Universities
Foundations
Businesses offering scholarships or awards

SmarterSelect Use Cases

Based on our analysis of user feedback and SmarterSelect’s current capabilities, we have identified key scenarios where this software is a good fit for organizations managing structured application and evaluation programs:

Foundations Running Annual Scholarship And Financial Aid Cycles

Community foundations and nonprofit organizations managing recurring scholarship programs often work with large applicant pools, volunteer reviewers, and strict review timelines. Many teams adopt SmarterSelect to keep submissions, recommendation letters, evaluator feedback, and award decisions within one organized review environment. This operational setup is especially useful for smaller administrative teams overseeing seasonal funding initiatives with limited internal resources.

Grant Programs Managing Multi-Stage Evaluation Workflows

SmarterSelect is frequently used by grant-making organizations that need to coordinate several layers of application review before funding decisions are finalized. It helps teams organize eligibility screening, committee evaluations, and approval stages within a single workflow instead of relying on disconnected spreadsheets or email threads. This structure is particularly valuable for programs involving multiple reviewers, external advisors, and recurring funding cycles.

Universities Coordinating Reviews Across Multiple Scholarship Committees

Universities managing several scholarship funds or departmental awards often need different committees to review applications simultaneously while following separate evaluation criteria. SmarterSelect helps academic institutions organize these parallel review processes within a single system, reducing the administrative burden of tracking applications across departments. Reviewers can score applicants, leave internal comments, and collaborate without duplicating records or switching between disconnected tools

Fellowship And Outreach Initiatives Handling Recurring Applicant Intake

SmarterSelect works well for organizations running recurring fellowship, mentorship, internship, or outreach programs that require repeatable application processes throughout the year. Administrators can manage changing eligibility criteria, rotating evaluator groups, and participant selection workflows without rebuilding systems for every intake cycle. This makes it a practical option for nonprofits and educational organizations overseeing multiple community-based initiatives simultaneously.

Is SmarterSelect Right For You?

If you are looking to replace spreadsheet-driven application reviews with a more structured evaluation workflow, SmarterSelect is the right choice. It suits organizations of various sizes and types, particularly those involved in managing scholarships, grants, and awards. It serves schools, nonprofits, government bodies, and corporations by simplifying the process of collecting, evaluating, and managing applications. The software also supports FERPA- and GDPR-related compliance workflows, which makes it suitable for institutions handling sensitive applicants and student-related information.

Are you still not satisfied with whether SmarterSelect is the right choice for you? Contact us at (661) 384-7070 to talk to our customer support team for guidance.

SmarterSelect Features

Unlimited Numbers And Types Of Programs

This powerful feature allows users to manage a wide range of program types, catering to different needs and requirements, ensuring flexibility and scalability across various programs.

See How It Works

Application Form

This is an easy-to-use feature that helps users quickly create customizable application forms with multiple question types, file attachments, and mobile responsiveness, ensuring accessibility on phones, tablets, and laptops.

See How It Works

Online Recommendations

This feature enables users to strengthen applications with online recommendations or third-party input, allowing customizable questions to gather unique insights for the process.

See How It Works

Pre-Qualify Applicants

It helps reduce administrative work by filtering out unqualified applicants before submission, using customizable qualifying questions and rules to streamline the selection process.

See How It Works

Award Tracking

SmarterSelect offers this feature, empowering users to track and manage awards for scholarships or grants, send notifications to applicants, and provide easy links for award acceptance.

See How It Works

Reports

This feature allows users to quickly generate custom reports, making it easy to analyze applicant data and evaluation results with specific criteria for faster insights.

See How It Works

Pros And Cons of SmarterSelect

A quick look at SmarterSelect 's strengths and weaknesses to
help you decide if it's the right fit

Pros

Easy onboarding process for programs
Effective for scholarship and grant management
Streamlines application processes efficiently
Useful evaluation features for applications

Cons

The exporting system lacks an intuitive design
Requires lengthy application completion time
Limited training sessions for new users

SmarterSelect Pricing

An overview of SmarterSelect pricing plans to help you
choose the best option for your team and budget.

Create	Enhance	Enterprise

500 users/year Unlimited programs Online applications Online evaluations Reports and exports Customer support File uploads Reviewer management	All Create features, plus: 2,500 users/year Application rules Online recommendations Autoscoring Calculations PayPal integration SMS messaging	All Enhance features, plus: 10,000 users/year Award tracking Scholarship matching Single sign-on (SSO) Multilingual forms Zapier integrations Advanced workflow management

Disclaimer: The pricing details were last updated on Sep 14, 2026 from the vendor's website. Please contact us for a tailored pricing list.

SmarterSelect Reviews

Insights from real users on SmarterSelect ’s features,
performance, and overall experience.

Total 15 reviews

4.1

All reviews are from verified customers

Rating Distribution

Stars

33%

Stars

53%

Stars

13%

Stars

Share your experience

Lauren

Nonprofits, 1-10 employees

More than a year

4.0

September 2022

“A good choice for smaller organizations”

Pros

I love that it's all online and that users can have multiple roles, this is crucial for our small-town organization.

Cons

The reporting after someone receives a grant is not integrated into a single grant application. It would be nice if it were a one stop application.

Rating Distribution

Ease of use

Value for money

Customer Support

Functionality

Dionysius

Nonprofits, 51-100 employees

More than a year

5.0

September 2022

“Great application tracking tool”

Pros

Love how easy it is to find an applicant.

Cons

I wish there were a way to make adjustments to an application after it's gone live. If there is a way to do that, I'm not sure how.

Rating Distribution

Ease of use

Value for money

Customer Support

Functionality

Willis

Nonprofits, 1-10 employees

More than a year

5.0

September 2022

“Very easy and helpful”

Pros

The product was easy to use for our initiative's applicants, the evaluators reviewing the proposals and the initiative staff who managed the process and extracted data for our management reviews and decisions. This was our first time using it and we didn't experience any system breakdowns.

Cons

Nothing much to say here.

Rating Distribution

Ease of use

Value for money

Customer Support

Functionality

View All 15 Reviews

Frequently Asked Questions

Quick answers to common questions to help you better understand the product, features, and services.

Does SmarterSelect offer an API?

Yes, SmarterSelect offers an API.

Does SmarterSelect have a mobile app? 

No, SmarterSelect does not have a mobile app.

What language does SmarterSelect support?

SmarterSelect supports only the English language.

What types of pricing plans does SmarterSelect offer?

The vendor offers multiple plans. These include Create ($2,000/year), Enhance ($5,000/year), and Enterprise ($7,500/year). Get in touch with us for a tailored SmarterSelect cost estimate.

What other apps does SmarterSelect integrate with?

SmarterSelect integrates with a variety of apps via Zapier. These include HubSpot, Salesforce, Evernote, Dropbox, Mailchimp, Asana, and Trello.

Who are the typical users of SmarterSelect? 

Typical users of SmarterSelect include nonprofit organizations, schools, universities, foundations, and businesses that offer scholarships, awards, or grants.

What level of support does SmarterSelect offer?

SmarterSelect offers support through live chat, chatbot, email/helpdesk, FAQs/forums, and knowledge base support.

SmarterSelect

Key Takeaways

Our Verdict

Overall Rating

Rating Distribution

Starting Price

$2,000

Product Snapshot

SmarterSelect Specifications

What Is SmarterSelect?

What Is SmarterSelect Best For?

How Much Does SmarterSelect Cost?

SmarterSelect Integrations

How Does SmarterSelect Work?

Who Is SmarterSelect For?

SmarterSelect Use Cases

Foundations Running Annual Scholarship And Financial Aid Cycles

Grant Programs Managing Multi-Stage Evaluation Workflows

Universities Coordinating Reviews Across Multiple Scholarship Committees

Fellowship And Outreach Initiatives Handling Recurring Applicant Intake

Is SmarterSelect Right For You?

SmarterSelect Features

Pros And Cons of SmarterSelect

Pros

Cons

SmarterSelect Pricing

Create

Enhance

Enterprise

$2,000 per year

$5,000 per year

$7,500 per year

SmarterSelect Reviews

Frequently Asked Questions

Does SmarterSelect offer an API?

Does SmarterSelect have a mobile app?

What language does SmarterSelect support?

What types of pricing plans does SmarterSelect offer?

What other apps does SmarterSelect integrate with?

Who are the typical users of SmarterSelect?

What level of support does SmarterSelect offer?

What Is SmarterSelect?

What Is SmarterSelect Best For?

How Much Does SmarterSelect Cost?

SmarterSelect Integrations

How Does SmarterSelect Work?

Who Is SmarterSelect For?

SmarterSelect Use Cases

Foundations Running Annual Scholarship And Financial Aid Cycles

Grant Programs Managing Multi-Stage Evaluation Workflows

Universities Coordinating Reviews Across Multiple Scholarship Committees

Fellowship And Outreach Initiatives Handling Recurring Applicant Intake

Is SmarterSelect Right For You?

Does SmarterSelect have a mobile app? 

Who are the typical users of SmarterSelect? 